The rapidly expanding Los Angeles of the 1940s and 50s the time when the aeronautics industry was becoming prominent, the freeway system being built, Disneyland was launched and the Chicago and east coast mob was moving in on Nevada and southern California has become a favourite subject of the period crime film these past 20 years. It began with Barry Levinson's Bugsy, set in this newThe rapidly expanding Los Angeles of the 1940s and 50s the time when the aeronautics industry was becoming prominent, the freeway system being built, Disneyland was launched and the Chicago and east coast mob was moving in on Nevada and southern California has become a favourite subject of the period crime film these past 20 years. It began with Barry Levinson's Bugsy, set in this new criminal milieu, and Lee Tamahori's Mulholland Falls, which centred on the ruthless cops hired to tackle these largely Jewish newcomers (known as the "Kosher Nostra"). It continued with two films based on James Ellroy's fact-based novels, LA Confidential and The Black Dahlia. The vicious New York gangster and former featherweight boxer Mickey Cohen came west via Chicago, sent by Murder Inc's Meyer Lansky to assist Ben "Bugsy" Siegel. In Bugsy, Cohen was on his way up in the mid-1940s and impersonated by Harvey Keitel, and in LA Confidential, when at his 50s peak, by Paul Guilfoyle. In the naive, heavy-handed, handsomely designed Gangster Squad, he's played as a preening, psychopathic monster by Sean Penn. We first see him using two cars to tear a Chicago interloper in two behind the "Hollywoodland" sign, thus establishing him as the monster who's corrupting the pure, law-abiding Los Angeles. The film is virtually a cross between those 1970s thrillers in which Vietnam veterans return home to clean up their tarnished homeland and Brian De Palma's The Untouchables, where Kevin Costner's Eliot Ness recruits an elite band of cops to break Al Capone's stranglehold hold on prohibition Chicago.…Expand

I love 1930s 1950s gangster movies! Everything about them is awesome, This movie has a lot of great actors, good special effects, a lot of great scenes, and a good story. And just because I love gangster movies, 10/10

I really, really enjoyed this movie. Excellent acting, and pace. Unlike many movies today, it was not "too long" the script was clean. Sean Penn was ferocious and very scary. I hope he wins an Oscar.
Good comedic relief also. My expectations were fully met.

I didn't know what to expect when I considered seeing this film--I was worried that there would be too much action and try to be something that it shouldn't. Gangster Squad is a heavily cliched film which does almost everything right. Are cliches all that bad? I don't think they are. A good introduction to all of the characters is key for this kind of film. The antagonist played by SeanI didn't know what to expect when I considered seeing this film--I was worried that there would be too much action and try to be something that it shouldn't. Gangster Squad is a heavily cliched film which does almost everything right. Are cliches all that bad? I don't think they are. A good introduction to all of the characters is key for this kind of film. The antagonist played by Sean Penn blew my mind and made me enjoy every moment he was on screen. Only problem I noticed with the introduction is that it drags on for longer than it needed to do so--taking up too much of a film which could have been longer. The mind-set needed to watch this film is that of what the classic gangster films used to be like. It's a classically designed and cliche gangster film which blew me away and only just misses out on the perfect score due to length.…Expand

I really enjoyed this movie from beginning to end. It COULD'VE been an epic movie like other gangster movies in the past, but sadly it's only 1 1/2 hours long. I think this movie should've been a 3 hour epic, or nearly 3 hours...and more story-focused. But I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be watching it again tomorrow.

A movie like this should be rated on it's entertainment value, and this movie is brilliant. I don't understand why people don't like it? It is an all round superb movie, in fact i loved it so much i'm going to see it again. It was very emotional at some parts and shocking at others. No major issue stood out at me at all. I love that era and location in history and this movie was perfectA movie like this should be rated on it's entertainment value, and this movie is brilliant. I don't understand why people don't like it? It is an all round superb movie, in fact i loved it so much i'm going to see it again. It was very emotional at some parts and shocking at others. No major issue stood out at me at all. I love that era and location in history and this movie was perfect for entertaining that.…Expand

Angels: This is a good gangster movie. The dialog is tough, and smart, the characters are interesting, The plot is exciting, the scenery and costumes are very stylish, and the violence is, well, very violent. What is not to like. I have an admission to make. This movie is really an 8/9, but I gave it a 10, because I wanted to raise its average to combat the 'haters'. Because of theAngels: This is a good gangster movie. The dialog is tough, and smart, the characters are interesting, The plot is exciting, the scenery and costumes are very stylish, and the violence is, well, very violent. What is not to like. I have an admission to make. This movie is really an 8/9, but I gave it a 10, because I wanted to raise its average to combat the 'haters'. Because of the negative reviews I almost did not go to see the movie, but my buddy out-voted me, and I am very glad that he did. Did I say that Sean Penn and Ryan Gosling knock the ball out of the park? Look, those boys really get into character, and I am a sucker for pretty boy Ryan. Now, the critics say, this movie is no LA Confidential. Which must be true, because it's called 'Gangster Squad'. A very enjoyable night out.…Collapse

Can't help but think that critics have an agenda. This is a really good movie. I really liked the way it was stylized and filmed. It is a bit funny sometimes but a great experience through and through. Shall watch it again. Highly recommended.

The violence is so indifferently presented that it has no kick; it’s not grim or graphic enough to shock, but it doesn’t rev us up, either. The picture’s various shoot-’em-up sequences are so generically conceived and shot that each one is indistinguishable from the next – by the movie’s end, they may as well all collapse into an exhausted heap.